Senators lead calls for revoking pregnancy policy

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Senators lead calls for revoking pregnancy policy
By Michael Gisick, Leo Shane III and Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Four U.S. senators have asked Army Secretary John McHugh to rescind a policy that makes pregnancy a punishable offense for some soldiers serving in Iraq, saying it “defies comprehension.”

The request from Democrats Barbara Boxer, Barbara Mikulski, Jeanne Shaheen and Kirsten Gillibrand came Tuesday after the general who issued the policy began backing away from it, explaining that he never intended to court-martial or jail women who become pregnant under his command.

The senators joined a chorus of critics who contend that, even if the punishment ends up being mild, the order simply goes too far and infringes on the basic rights of individuals in the name of military readiness.

“This policy could encourage female soldiers to delay seeking critical medical care with potentially serious consequences for mother and child,” the senators wrote in a letter to McHugh. “We can think of no greater deterrent to women contemplating a military career than the image of a pregnant woman being severely punished simply for conceiving a child. This defies comprehension.”

Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo, who commands Multi-National Division–North, has defended his decision to include pregnancy among the offenses listed in a General Order that could lead to a court-martial and jail time.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66832